US network airlines are much more efficient but still lag LCCs

US legacy carriers have made substantial progress in becoming more competitive but still trail low-cost carriers in a number of areas related to labor efficiency, a new analysis by the US Dept. of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics confirms. The analysis, based on Form 41 data filed by seven network carriers and seven budget airlines, reveals that LCCs reduced the number of full-time-equivalent employees per aircraft by 16%, from 92 in the first quarter of 2001 to 77 in the ...